There is a huge amount of discomfort surrounding money in our society. Nowhere is the discomfort more palpable, though, than in the metaphysical community. People seem embarrassed requiring payment for their work. Some see requiring payment for spiritual work somehow cheapens it. There’s a false dichotomy assumed between wanting to help people versus wanting to earn a living. To some, unless it’s done strictly out of love, it’s tainted with greed. This seems so silly to me.

How could a mutually beneficial, cooperative agreement between folks where both benefit be defined as greed? Generosity comes in many forms.

“Uh, I think you’re being kinda melodramatic here.” She laughed. That’s one of the things I love about her.

“I mean, yeah. You got shit to deal with. This is life, and some stretches are crappy. We all have our turns. You’re having your turn of shit to wade through, that’s all. If you’re not happy, then it’s your job to figure out what would make you happy. Your job is to find your way out.”

“Not to other sock monkeys. I say, Let Sock Monkey get a little action. He deserves it. He’s a versitile guy. He cooks and cleans and everything. Why shouldn’t sock monky have a little noogie? I think he deserves it.”

Somewhere around then, she said I was nuts or something. I dunno. I was kind of in my own vision of sock monkey world, where our hero lives, working and playing and getting his occassional action. Good for him!

Wrote this in 2006, but the advice still holds…hope it helps somebody going through it.

heard through the grapevine somebody i know may be facing some custody issues soon. since this is something i know waaayyyy too much about (unfortunately), i figured i’d share some tips that may help anybody is this position. take it for what it’s worth—we didn’t win. but i know we learned a lot, too. so, you know. maybe our painful history can help someone else.